2 Investigates: Ambulance took more than 9 minutes

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- 2 On Your Side discovered what appears to have been a delay in getting an ambulance to the scene of a shooting that involved a Buffalo Police officer hit by gunfire.

The first call for an ambulance came in at 5:14pm Sunday. American Medical Response (A.M.R.) has the exclusive contract to provide ambulance service in the city. The company confirmed that call time.

The dispatch audio shows it was more than 9 minutes before the ambulance got on scene to treat Joseph Acquino, the officer who was shot and is recovering at ECMC.

A first responder on scene could be heard in the dispatch audio asking about the status of the ambulance.

"What's the story with A.M.R.?" he's heard asking.

The ambulance arrived to the officer shortly thereafter.

The 9-minute mark is important, because the contract between A.M.R. and the City of Buffalo sets the goal for all "hot" calls to be in less than 9 minutes. The call Sunday evening was "hot" from the beginning.

A.M.R. claims the ambulance responded in 7 minutes, 36 seconds, even though the audio recordings show otherwise.

A.M.R. also said a paramedic "fly car" arrived in just over 7 minutes with two medics on it. However, the dispatch audio makes no mention of any ambulance vehicle arriving in that time period. 2 On Your Side has asked for clarification.

Just weeks ago, A.M.R. got praise for dramatically improving response times within the City of Buffalo. In fact, Mayor Byron Brown said response times right now are the best ever documented in the city's history.